Need a new recipe please.

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Anonymous on 20 Nov 2008 at 04:58

Alright so I have been baking bread for a little over a month (my mom used to do it all the time and I would help her........so i started a long time ago......lol). 

For the past month or so I have been using a regular white sandwich bread recipe, it's basic as basic can be, but it's taught me a lot.

My husband asked me the other day if Icould try making a new bread.  He wants something with flavor in the actual bread and not just on top (i put some Garlic salt on top of what i make to give it some flavor).  The recipe i have been using is below and i would like some suggestions on a good "next-step" bread for me.  I stay home full-time so I have plenty of time during the day for baking.  I do not have a stand mixer and do everything by hand (just letting you know in advance).

Thank you all

http://www.sourdoughhome.com/bakingintro3.html#windopane

 

Cara

you didn't include your current recipe.

for more flavor, I would suggest using less yeast and longer fermtations.  You couldalso incorporate those savory ingredients into the dough.  For garlic bread, I put fresh garlic in the food processor with a bit of parsley and add that to my french bread dough.  They way, people only need a bit of butter on the bread.  I have had many compliments on my garlic/rosemary breads.

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HogieWan on 20 Nov 2008 at 07:03

I found it - I thought by below, you were putting it in the same post

I decided to use that same recipe today (started at 5:30 this morning when my son woke up).  I used a bit less yeast.  Let it rise as normal, then flattened it out and used that folding methos that people like on here (first time to do that).  Let it rise another 30or so minutes, did the fold again, let it rise.  The i let it made my loaf and let it rise again...............it got so much bigger this time in the loaf pan!  It had a great smooth texture on the top, and it didn't fall when I scored it....so that's a plus.

That being said I cooked it the same way, but it didn't get nearly as brown.......

It is cooling off now, so we'll see how it looks once i cut into it.

Start with your usual recipe, but use a preferment.  Before you go to be tonight, mix together all the ingredients except 1/3rd of the flour.  Let it sit on the counter overnight.  Tomorrow morning, add the remaining flour and mix, knead, stretch and fold as you would usually.  The dough should rise just as well as if you did it all the same day.

It should have a dramatic difference in taste once cooked.  It should also stay fresh longer.

 

It doesn't really matter.  I don't.  Just use less yeast than you usually would.  Over eight hours, the yeast will multiply.

 

...actually, try it both ways.

 

I live in Kingston Ontario and the weather is getting cold this time of year.  If your room temperature is a little low, it will take a while for your yeast to take off and your results will end up tasting more like a three-hour same-day bread rather  than an overnight pre-fermented dough that has been active all night.  Perhaps if you want to see the difference between same-day bread and using a preferment, you can go for extremes and activate the yeast.

There's no *harm* in activatng your yeast and letting it sit overnight, nor will letting the yeast activate slowly - you'll just get different flavours.  You can try a middle-of-the-road technique by simply using warmish water and throwing it all together.  Have fun.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you are asking for recipes that include herbs, spices, fruits, and nuts within the bread. I've never actually ventured into the world of enriched bread, but here's a recipe from which you might draw inspiration:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/paindeprovence

If you're comfortable with your own recipe but feel like improvising, you could probably knead any of the following into your dough:

> dried onions (or maybe lightly sauteed onions)

> dried fruit (cranberries come to mind)

> dried herbs (rosemary!)

> soaked or cooked grains (wheat berries, oats).

I've even heard talk of throwing in chunks of apples or pears! Sounds scandelous to me, but who am I to judge?

Let us know how it goes!

Eric

I have some sliced Kalamata olives in the fridge.  They are my absolute favorite olive.  I put them on my pizza and love the flavor the baking brings out in the olive.  I wonder if I can incorporate these into a loaf of bread.  If I do, shoule I roll them in it, or put them in my initial batter...........and nix the salt since they have a lot in them.

Cara,

Here is a link to a thread for an olive with pepper jack cheese that was great. I used Kalamata and chunks of cheese. You might reduce the salt a little bit but if you dry the olives off with paper towels first the don't add much to the dough. If you want to try this let me know and I'll post the recipe again.

 

Eric

We talked about that when I first made it. Feta is a little sharp so I would try a smaller amount. The spices were much better after letting them infuse after warming the oil. let us know how you like it.

Eric

D you have the recipe for this?  I clicked on teh link above and it tells me what you added to the original bread type.......I am definitely going to try this..........even if it's a failure, i can still pick the yummy olives out right.....lol

Cara,
This is the recipe for the basic white from Mark Sinclair's Back Home Bakery. If you follow the recipe and add the olives and oil and spices from the link above you will have it.

I would suggest going to Marks web site and look under tutorials for kneading and shaping help videos. These are the best available anywhere on the web. He is really good at demonstrating the craftmanship and skills needed to bake well. I have learned much from him. I'm having trouble with pasting the recipe into the forum comment for some reason. The formatting isn't working at all.

Send me an email at ehanner(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll send you the PDF with the whole procedure.

Eric

Those pictures from your blog sold me straight away! I'm definitely having a go at this bread during the weekend.

I think I got the right measurements from your posts, so I'll put them into my spreadsheet and get working on it :-)  I think I'll try it with a pate fermentee (1/3 of the total flour), and perhaps add 5 - 10% rye to the dough, to give it a slight "rustic" feel. I'll post some pictures if it turns out good!

Thanks again for the recipe :-)

This is the bread I use for the household loaves.

Preferment

5 oz whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons sugar or honey

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

10 oz cold water

Mix well, let proof on the counter at room temp overnight or about 12 hours.  Leave room at the top for expansion, and vent the lid or it could pop under pressure.

Dough

11 oz high gluten flour, or bread flour plus about a Tablespoon vital wheat gluten

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon flax meal

preferment

Knead by hand until done, or 5 minutes with a dough hook.

Proof 2 hours, shape, proof 1 hour, bake 40 minutes at 400 degrees.

This makes a nice soft loaf good for sandwiches or anything else.  It's easy to make it into an her bread by adding some spice (about 1 teaspoon per loaf) with the dry ingredients.

The flax meal gives it a nice nutty flavor, the preferment gives it that bread taste we all love.